Unprecedented Youth
by BG Sparrow
Summary: [Full Summary Inside, DMC.AWE] Jack runs into a small girl while in Tortuga collecting souls for his debt, but she is drawn to his 'magic' compass. A fun story now continuing into World's End! Creda still only wants the compass. Jack would think otherwise
1. A Dislike of Circles

_Hi (insert your name here)! This is NOT my first PotC story (I've written five with six in the process). This originally started out as a one shot, but by popular demand, it has developed into a cute little story that does not overpower the main storyline or have any big secrets - it's just as it appears. A young girl is interested in Jack's compass while he argues with it in Tortuga in DMC, and Jack gets impatient because he'd rather not have a four-year-old point out to him that his compass chooses not to work for him. So, with that, enjoy my little 'puff of fluff' for you all, lol. That was really strange, because I have never used that term in my life before... Anyway, just enjoy the story, and please review! I reply to all out of common courtesy - you review, and I reply. Give and take, Reader and Author. I love all of you that read, even if you don't review! Thanks so much!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter One  
**_A Dislike of Circles_

Jack stood idle amongst the drunks and wenches of Tortuga's finest, the bunch that had claimed the Faithful Bride tavern as their own. He was oblivious to the ruckus (it becoming much too common to his person), staring at his compass closely as it spun around in all directions indecisively. He shook it some in frustration.

From behind, Gibbs approached Jack. "Well, cap'n," – Jack started and looked away from his compass – "I've set the table ready and spread the good word," Gibbs told him. "Eh… They should be comin' any time now."

"Great," Jack drawled loosely, spotting an empty barrel against the nearby wall. "I'll be within earshot over there."

He pointed and made his way over, not giving his first mate a second look over his shoulder. He took a seat on the barrel, leaning against the wall dejectedly as he brought his compass up from his side. He opened it, but it only spun inconsistently even more.

He gave it a small snarl, the nerve between his lip and nose curling.

He snapped it shut, opening it quickly. Nothing.

He did it four more times in the same way.

Nothing.

_All right, Compass,_ Jack thought. _This is getting ridiculous._

He tried a lighter approach next, voicing that he knew what he wanted with false confidence, only to open the compass and see it slowly spinning in vain of his words. He shook it with deep frustration now.

_Bugger._

He then heard a small giggle.

Jack stopped, looking slowly down at the compass, fearing he was going even madder than he already was. Was his compass _laughing_ at him? He straightened up, looking around uncomfortably. Another giggle.

He whipped the compass open and brought it to his face, but it kept spinning lazily about. He made another snarl, pinching an eye shut and poking the compass's face angrily. _See here, compass-_

The next giggle was louder, more defined.

Now he was certain that it wasn't his compass this time. Jack quickly threw his head to the left of his compass, and a small girl with stringy blonde hair and a raggy dressed stood before him. Her hands were bunched in front of her mouth as she grinned and laughed at him.

Jack looked back at the compass, his suspicions of it taunting him leaving now that he had found the source of high-pitched giggling. _We have an understanding, then_, he thought to his compass. The girl laughed again at his over-exaggerated facial expression, and Jack leaned back against the wall giving her a contemplative look as he opened the compass yet again.

"I'm glad _you're_ having fun," he said to her boredly as she laughed more. She stayed put, still watching him look at his compass somewhat dejectedly. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Oh, shoo," he said. Jack shook the compass threateningly. "I'm busy."

The little girl came to his side, looking at the compass with him. He was shocked as she tilted her head and looked at his compass contemplatively.

"I think it's broken," she stated.

Jack sighed, not in the mood to care. "Me, too."

"It doesn't point N," she said, doing just that for him.

"No, it doesn't," said Jack matter-of-factly. The girl looked at him puzzled. "It points to whatever you want the most," he told her. _What harm could there be in telling a four-year-old that? _Jack thought. _She'd like an outlandish tale, I suppose._

"Do you like circles?" the girl asked.

An odd look came from Jack. "Circles?"

The girl pointed again. "The arrow goes in circles when you hold it," she laughed again. "You like circles a lot!"

"I like when things work, too, darling," he said, lifting the compass from her reach with some impatience. "Now if you'll excuse me."

He snapped the lid closed. _I know what I want! And I want it now!_

More spinning. More frustration. More shaking. More giggling.

Jack gave this little girl a strange glance again because she would not leave him alone. She grabbed his arm and pulled it down, laughing when she saw the compass again.

"You like circles!" she said again.

"No!" Jack said sharply. "I hate circles! That's why the compass is _broken_!" He threw it in his lap angrily. Instead of the girl being taken aback, she merely threw a leg up over him. Jack was shocked even more at her behavior, but he helped her sit up before she fell over onto the floor. Once in his lap, he watched her take the compass and open it.

"You have no respect for others, do you?" he asked nonchalantly. The girl sat, looking at the compass spin in her hands, too, except she was more patient than he. Jack sighed, able to sympathize with her. "You must like circles, too." The compass still spun around. The girl sighed, and Jack heaved as well. "What's your name, girl?"

"Cre-da," she said in a singsong voice, still watching the compass.

Jack nodded at her name, but then she let out a gasp. He leaned forward, and the arrow pointed due west, right at the wall.

"You like walls?" Jack poked amusingly.

"No!" Creda protested. "I hate walls!"

"At that, my child," – Jack took the compass out of her hands and closed it with a curt smile – "is why this bloody compass is broken. Now, again, if you'll leave me to my business…"

He picked her up and stood her on the ground again, turning away to mentally argue with his inanimate object of a navigational tool again. Several times he shook it, cursed it, and almost threw it without disruption. The girl was gone, thank god.

"How we going?" Jack asked Gibbs suddenly, ready to throw the compass at the wall and break it. He knew better, though. First impulsion thoughts of his were rather violent.

Why had he traded the monkey? He could be shooting it now.

"Including those four?" Gibbs asked with some heavy sarcasm from the table. "That gives us… _four_."

Unimpressive count, but they could be in the hole.

Actually, he was. Ninety-five in the hole. Jack listened as Gibbs began to speak to another man. _Ninety-four if this gent signs up!_

Wait a minute. He knew that voice. That unpleasant, foreboding voic-

"Ow!"

A hard tug came at his hair, and he clapped his hand over the spot, looking all around for the culprit. The familiar giggle came from behind the chair, and Jack rolled his eyes, reaching back and pulling Creda out by her arm. She tried to hide her smile as she waited to be reprimanded.

"_What_ do you _want_?" he asked hastily.

"Your beads are pretty," Creda said. She reached up to touch another. "I like that yellow one-"

Jack caught her hand and held them both under his. "No!" he said in a hushed voice. "Now get out of here!"

"But I wanna come with you! You're funny!"

_Come with me?_ he thought in repulsion.

Norrington (he knew it was him) knocked over Gibbs and the table, and Jack quickly turned back to Creda and picked her up as she squeed happily. He hoisted her onto her back, and she laughed more.

"Shh," Jack said quietly over his shoulder to her. "No noise."

"Kay," she whispered with a nod.

"Let's go."

He passed behind a few people, grabbing a palm frond from a large vase. He held it up, hiding behind it, but Creda only tried to peek through the leaves at the poor excuse of an ex-commodore waving a gun and rum bottle around as he shouted.

"So am I worthy to crew under Captain Jack Sparrow?" Suddenly, the gun clicked onto them, and Jack stopped mid-step. "Or should I just kill you know?" Norrington asked with a contemplative arrogance.

Creda hung onto Jack's neck and giggled some as he went back and forth between either sides of the posts. Norrington's gun followed, but they seemed to get away just in time, making it as fun as a game.

"You're hired," Jack said with a nervous smile.

"Sorry," Norrington drawled vengefully. "Old habits and all that."

This time Jack didn't move, and a tiny panic crept into Creda until a few men ricocheted the gun upwards, and before she knew what was happening, all of the tavern occupants were brawling and screaming to the tune of a happy jig.

"Time to go?" Jack asked Gibbs, still harboring the girl on his back.

"Aye!" Gibbs stopped, looking at the bright-eyed child with a presently calm face. "Who's the maid?"

Jack looked over his shoulder, almost forgetting about the girl. "What was your name again?" he asked her.

"Creda!" she shouted over the loud noises surrounding them.

"There, you see?" Jack said to his first mate. "Creda. Savvy? Now on the move, wouldn't you say?"

As they weaved through the fights and flying beers, Jack suddenly took Creda off of his back and stood her in the middle of a bunch of extremely tall people. She looked around scared until he saw the tails of his coats, running up and tugging on them desperately. Jack turned, ducking down to her eye level as a plate busted on the wall above his head.

"Up again!" she said.

"You stay down here where it's safe," Jack told her. "Trust me."

"No! Up!" she whined.

"Jack! Come on!"

Jack and Gibbs went up a set of stairs, and Creda tried to keep up, watching Jack switch hats every few heads. She became amused by this and took the hat from a lazy drunk next to her with a smile, its large brim falling over her eyes. When she lifted it, Jack was gone, and she looked around in the chaotic mess. Down by the door, the end of Jack's red bandana and coat were whirling around the corner out of the tavern, and she hurriedly made her way down and out, hoping to find him.

**. Please Review .**


	2. Stowaway

Well, you asked for more, so I have brought more! Thanks to you that reviewed! This is officially a story (and not a one shot) from now on! Chapters will be shorter than I am accustomed to writing with different lengthed chapters instead a set amount, but I know you'll like it all the same! Thank you!

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**blacklabluver**  
_Hehe, I have a four-year-old little brother who is inquisitive about everything, so I wondered what would happen if Jack got into that situation with a little girl that would not stop bothering him about his compass. I'm glad you like Creda, and I hope her character makes you smile more as you continue reading! Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!_

**Reviewer  
**_I have taken yours and several other's advice to continue, and I hope you keep reading and reviewing! I'm glad I haven't chosen an overly-used topic; Creda isn't Jack's long lost daughter or anything, so you can breathe, lol. She's just a curious little insert that's not really all that important to the main DMC plot. Sort of like a Mr. Cotton, lol. She's a little comic relief, she is! Thank you so much for reviewing, and I love your name there, lol. Ta, and enjoy!_

**Aranel Cugheil  
**_Haha. Curiosity. Good word choice. I'm glad you've got me to continue on with this, too, because I was probably going to try and post more anyway, lol. Isn't Creda just the cutest? haha... Thank you kindly for your review, and I hope you keep reading and review more! Spread the word to your other PotC reader friends! Thanks again, and enjoy more of the story!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Two  
**_Stowaway_

Jack popped up from the side of his compass, relieved to finally see a still arrow on his compass, though in the hands of someone else. That someone else was a puzzled and distressed Elizabeth Swann, tricked by Jack's words and following what he said about getting Will back on little faith. It was all she had, and now, Jack had all that he needed to get his freedom back.

"Mr. Gibbs!"

"Cap'n!"

"We have our heading," Jack said with a sly tone.

Gibbs had never been gladder to hear the words. "Finally." He began to move towards the ship quickly, shouting out orders as the rest of the men on the dock boarded with provisions and rum. Jack issued Elizabeth onto the ship, and he boarded directly behind her. And directly behind him carried a man with a large barrel.

Soon, all provisions were below decks, save a few kegs of powder. The ship left port, now heading back out to open waters. Elizabeth walked around decks almost effortlessly, watching Jack steer the ship out of the corner of her eye. Exhausted, she let her hair out of its tight binding, throwing the hat aside on deck. From the wheel, Jack cursed her lovely figure of temptation.

"You know," Jack spoke up, "I showed ye to your cabin."

"Yes," Elizabeth said distantly, looking up at a starless overcast night sky. "And I showed myself to the deck."

"You're getting less tolerant of walls," Jack stated. He expected her to cast him a look, but she just sighed silently.

"I am," Elizabeth admitted, staring out at the blackness. "No matter how pretty they are or what is on them."

"No appeal to pretty anymore, either?" Jack pressed.

"Not so much."

Jack's hand slid over the wheel as he walked away from it to join Elizabeth at gazing at the darkness, but a loud clatter came from the main deck. Elizabeth stood, and they exchanged glances of curiosity and uncertainty as Jack drew his sword, moving forward in the night cautiously. He picked up a lamp nearby, and they leaned over the railing to look at the deck below. After moving the light around several times, Elizabeth caught sight of something.

She pointed. "Look."

An empty barrel lay on its side, gunpowder strewn all over the deck space in front of it. Jack narrowed his eyes, moving down the stairs with Elizabeth in the follow. They reached the barrel, kneeling down near it.

"Who's up here, I wonder?" he mused quietly. "He owes me another provision."

"Jack, there's footprints." Elizabeth took the lamp, bringing it back down to the mess of powder on the deck. "Look." Several small slipper marks and wisps were in the powder. He also saw a tiny handprint, touching it barely. A knowing smile almost surfaced, but the expression came across as less than amused.

"Who is it?" Elizabeth whispered.

"Pull out the compass," he murmured to her.

"Wh-? What for?" she asked hesitantly, reaching for it at her side.

"Just open the compass," he said in a louder, more pronounced voice. Elizabeth's mouth fell agape at his shouting, but he just stared at her until she opened it, taking a step back and relieving her of the light.

She did so; the arrow spun a moment until landing squarely on Jack. She glared at it angrily for a moment until something jumped up and grabbed her arm. She screamed, but when Jack raised the lamp, she just saw a small girl materialize out of nowhere, studying the reading on the compass. Jack didn't move.

"You like Jack!" she said happily to Elizabeth. Elizabeth babbled wordlessly, still confused, even as she looked up at Jack. He finally came eye to eye with the child, giving her his narrow eyes and a slight nod. Creda simply looked at him.

"So you're the little devil what knocked over my gunpowder," he said. "Miss Swann, I believe we've found a stowaway."

"Jack, she's only a child," Elizabeth said, thinking he might cast a punishment onto her. "I'm sure she just walked aboard the ship."

"No," Creda said to her. "I fit in the barrel! It was fun!"

Elizabeth went silent as Jack looked over at her. _Just walked aboard, eh?_ "Look," - he paused at the girl's face – "Apologies again, darling, but what's your name?"

"Creda," she said patiently. "And I don't like walls!"

"Well then you and Elizabeth will get along just fine," he said with quick smile to them both.

Creda looked at the compass again in Elizabeth's hands. The arrow remained on Jack. She giggled again. "You're not a wall, silly!" she said. "You like Jack!" she said to Elizabeth.

"No I don't!" she said immediately.

"I don't like circles," Jack provided, earning him a strange look from Elizabeth.

"I don't like walls!" Creda practically shouted.

"Please protest your dislike of walls in a more quiet manner, luv, or I will be forced to silence you," Jack said civilly. Elizabeth stared at him incredulously.

"Jack!"

"Seeing as we all dislike what the compass tells us we most want – I not liking circles, Creda not liking walls, and Elizabeth not liking me (she looked away in frustration) – I say the compass is broken," Jack declared, standing up. "Even though it works just fine for both of you and not myself."

Both girls went into a rally of objection at this, but Jack just ignored them, walking across the deck and down into the ship with them arguing behind him. He walked passed the cabins, and Elizabeth opened her cabin door still ranting at Jack, and she pulled Creda in with her, claiming that he would harm her or something in the middle of the night and that the girl would be with her and that Jack was not allowed to touch her or so help her god she would hurt him.

After the door slammed shut, Jack stood blinking his eyes from a developing headache. He congratulated himself however; both girls were bunking together that night as he had hoped, and he wouldn't have any disruptions again from either of them.

_Oh. Good. Now where's the rum gone off to? _

**. Please Review .**


	3. Magic Compass

Hey all! Quick update for you before I head on out to not go to school today, lol. Well, I'm going to school, I'm just missing all of my classes to go to the jr, highs to do our musical previews for the show this year... I left too much time to get ready this morning and I've had this saved for about a week now, and I wanted to update. So here ya go!Short chapter, but there are a few more longe ones in the future.

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**blacklabluver**  
_Of course there's a chapter three! lol.. This isn't gonna be a seriously long fic like some of my others, but it's like my little pet project. I only wanna go up to about the end of DMC with this, so it won't probably go more than 10 or 12 chapters. Shorter story, but it's cute and fun and I'm still glad you like it. Thank you for reviewing again, and enjoy this one, too!_

**Reviewer  
**_Hehe.. well, when you think about claustrophobia and a phobia of walls, they're sort of the same, right? I don't know... bad attempt there, but oh well! And yes, whenever I write Jack, his thoughts not on the situation at hand usually stray to rum as hey do in the movies, so I have studied his character very well having seen the first movie 82 times and the second 24, lol. I think I've seen the CotBP more than that, but you loose track after all those sleepovers with your pirate loving friends, lol. Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you come back to read more! Woot! _

**Aranel Cugheil  
**_Yes! The rum is essential. The ending wouln't have been as good without that line, lol. Straying into the mind of Jack Sparrow is an uncertain and dangerous thing, but one can always be sure that they will find rum there, lol. Glad to see you again, too, and thank you for your review! It means a lot! Please read on, and let me know how you felt this chapter went when you're finished!_

**StellaBella6755  
**_I am, don't worry! It won't be a terribly long fic like I mentioned to blacklabluver above, but I've always wanted a short little thing to work on, and this is it. It was originally a one shot, but I wanted to go a little farther with it. So i did, then I asked the readers if I should continue after the first part, and I am! This'll only go to about the end of DMC though. Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you keep reading!_

**SparrowsVixon  
**_It is not intended to be a Jack/Elizabeth story; I'm just playing off of the feelings and attrations we got from the movie, sort of like some 'deleted scene' material. I'm keeping it in the light of the movie, not altering any relationships that much unless they have to do with Creda, and she's not going to make them stray from the course of the movie because that's not her purpose, lol. So, it's technically NOT a J/E fic, but it seems like it because I'm keeping in stride with the movie. I'm big on that, lol. THank you for reviewing, and I hope I answered you question! Come back and read some more if you get the chance! Enjoy!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Three  
**_Magic Compass_

The morning was clear. Several of the new deckhands were scrubbing the deck of the Black Pearl, including Norrington whose face was a little cleaner than the previous night. His ridiculous and destroyed remnants of a once very pompous wig were gone, too, revealing messy long brown hair. Creda sat on a crate next to him swinging her legs absent-mindedly. She just watched him wash the deck, and frankly, Norrington was getting rather annoyed by it.

He thought her to be a relation of Jack's somehow even though she looked nothing like him. She was still just a thorn in his side. He slopped a rag down on the deck getting water splashed in his face, and the girl laughed to him. He slowly turned, giving her a mean glare. She giggled more. Norrington was about to open his mouth when Jack walked by with Elizabeth.

"Good job, gents," he said. "Make 'er shine. Morning, luv," he said to the girl as he passed. "Keeping the ex-commodore some company?"

Elizabeth touched her head silently with a smile as she went by, too. "Aye, sir!" Creda said attentively to them both.

"Good girl. Gibbs!"

Creda looked back down at Norrington. He watched Elizabeth go with a softer expression, but he still felt the girl's eyes on him. He looked over at her again.

"Make 'er shine!" she yelled, pointing at him.

Jack looked over with Elizabeth and Gibbs at the scream, Norrington giving her a very impatient snarl.

"Commodore!"

Norrington and Creda looked over at Jack. "You heard the girl!" Jack said with a warning tone.

Norrington desperately wanted to speak out against his command, but being bound by the life and ways of a naval officer, he dare not say a word against a captain's orders unless he wanted punishment. And being as he was under the command of a pirate captain, punishment meant anything less than civil or humane.

With another glance at Creda ("Make 'er shine!" she repeated), she looked back down at the deck, scrubbing the boards beneath him.

Gibbs stood looking at Creda carefully. "Is that the lass from Tortuga?" Jack was silent. "Jack, why did you bring her aboard?"

"I did no such thing," he said matter-of-factly. "She stowed away."

"We can't have a child aboard!" Gibbs said in hushed outrage. "I drew the line at women!" Elizabeth gave Gibbs a look for his petty offense.

"And she's a darling child," Elizabeth said in Creda's defense. "You won't touch her."

"Stand down, man," Jack said to his first mate. "Next trip round we'll put her back on dry Tortuga land." He turned back to Elizabeth. "Now I believe, Miss Swann, you mentioned something or the other of Letters of Marque in my name?"

x x x

Jack successfully detained the pardon letters from Elizabeth, but she did not retaliate as he had hoped. Instead, he went to the upper deck, and Creda jumped up away from Norrington's side, running after him. Sure they were nearing the Isla Cruces, Jack pulled out his scope to see if its mass was lining the horizon yet. Suddenly, a sharp yank came at his tailcoat. Creda stood behind him with outstretched arms.

"I want to see!" she said.

Jack looked back out at the ocean. "Not right now."

"I want to see!" Creda relentlessly pulled on his coattails more. He finally gave in.

"All right all right! Here." Jack picked her up and stood her on a barrel near the railing, handing her the telescope. She leaned forward eagerly, and he quickly threw his hand out in front of her so she wouldn't fall overboard.

"So what do you see?"

"Water… sky… clouds…"

"Me, too," Jack said blatantly.

Creda turned away from the water, looking around the deck of the ship at the crewmembers. Norrington was still scrubbing the deck, Pintel and Ragetti were messing with some ropes, and Elizabeth was looking at Jack's compass. Creda gave Jack back his eyeglass immediately and hopped off the barrel. He gave her a strange look as she ran down the stairs and over to Elizabeth who knelt to greet her, showing her the compass.

_Of all things. Why didn't I see that coming? _

His watchful eye stayed on them as Elizabeth led the child to the opposite side of the ship talking to her. Creda held the compass now. Jack just went back to looking for the island.

"It's a magic compass," Creda said to Elizabeth as they walked.

"A magic compass, hmm?" Elizabeth said, humoring her.

"Jack says it doesn't point N," Creda told her. "It points to what you really want." She lowered her voice. "I don't think it does. I hate walls. I want some money so I can buy me a bread."

"Bread?" Elizabeth asked. "You're that hungry?"

Creda nodded.

"Well let's go visit the galley, shall we?" Elizabeth asked, taking her hand. "Jack can spare us a few bites."

The girl jumped happily as they walked, and Elizabeth laughed with her.

**. Please Review .**


	4. Land Ho!

YEEEESSSS!!!! MUSICAL IS OVER!!! The shows went GREAT but I am so glad to get a rest. I am sleeping after I update this, lol. I just got back from a four day trip in New York City this morning at two, so I'm exhausted. The trip was totally awesome, too, I just need the rest. Sorry it took a while to update. Life shall be orderly again by the end of this week, and I will be able to drive home right after scholl from now on! How great IS that? haha.. Enjoy the new chapter you guys!

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**Aranel Cugheil  
**_Haha... Creda gets hungry, too! I just ate some pizza to tie me over while I nap, so yeah. Food. GREAT subject, lol. And I am very happy that you like my continuingness, haha! Thank you very much for reviewing again, and I hope you keep reading and liking what you read! Enjoy, ma dear!_

**SparrowsVixon  
**_Just a tad, lol.. Jack can be sensitive! He gets a little short with Creda sometimes, but he cares somewhere in that rum-loving black heart of his, lol. Than kyou for reviewing for me again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, too! Thanks again!_

**Norma Jean  
**_Mmm.. I'm not going for super suspenseful, but it is fun to wirte with little Creda there, lol. She can make things more interesting at some points (as you will later see). I hope you keep reading just for some light stuff. Nothing hugely major plotwise here, lol. Thanks for leaving me a review as always! You're so awesome, but I don't have to tell you that, lol. Thank you!!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Four  
**_Land Ho!_

Some time later, Elizabeth had gotten food for the two of them, though it wasn't the best. The only quality item on this ship was rum, so of course the bread was dry and hard and the water was discolored. After returning to the deck, Elizabeth allowed Creda to hold the compass for a while, and the happy girl pranced all over the ship as if it were Christmas time. Elizabeth smiled warmly.

She hoped to have a daughter as sweet and cherishable someday. Someday when she was away from open ocean, Jack Sparrow, and the Black Pearl. Someday when she was done with pirates and curses and married to Will. Elizabeth longed to married to him now. She should have been Mrs. William Turner for at least a month or two now, back in Port Royal moving into a new home with her husband, sitting in the dining room enjoying dinner with Will an preparing for her own family.

_God, I wish none of this had ever happened_, she found herself pleading.

And speaking of Jack Sparrow, he walked over, taking a seat right beside her, and she didn't bother to reprimand him. She only missed Will.

"My intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled."

And he knew.

Creda was jumping around back over in the vicinity of Norrington as he picked up his bucket, moving farther up the deck to wash the stairs.

"Guess what Jack gave Elizabeth gave me?" she asked him, dancing around.

He didn't understand a word she had said except 'guess,' and he did not like to 'guess,' nor did he feel like playing games with a demanding four-year-old. "What?" he asked shortly, throwing a wet rag on the stair. Creda ran up the stairs stepping on the rag and splashing water in his face. She sat on stair above him as he blinked the dirty water from his eyes.

"A magic compass!"

Norrington did not look up, knowing it was none other than the infamous broken compass. "Fascinating."

"You hold it!"

"No."

"But I want to know what you like!"

"I like nothing," Norrington replied morbidly, "save for being sober again. And that only makes me want to drink because I'm still not a commodore again and my life is a waste."

Creda looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you like washing the stairs?"

Norrington looked up this time. "No," he said flatly.

"Oh… How about clouds?"

Norrington stopped, heaving a very irritated sigh. "Please spare me your childish questions and leave me to my duties."

Creda sat in offense for a moment. "You're no fun."

She got up and left, heading onto the upper deck. Gibbs was at the wheel with Mr. Cotton and his parrot nearby. Creda smiled when she spotted Pintel and Ragetti, running over to them as they struggled to free a rowboat.

"Hey! Hold the magic compass!" she said, holding it out to one of them.

"Grab that- Hey! Get back!" Pintel shouted. "Out of the way, out of the way! We're handlin' a boat!"

She stepped back quietly, looking up at the tall, wooden-eyed man sheepishly. "You want to hold it and find out what you like the most?"

"Get off, girlie," he said as Pintel hit him sharply. "What? What I do?"

"Tug that rope in more! To the left! Left!"

Creda walked away from them dejectedly, looking down at the closed compass.

"Land ho!"

Her head shot up. She ran over to the railing as the men crowded around the left side of the ship to see the island in the distance. Creda spotted Elizabeth running over to the men away from Jack, and the rowboat behind her finally jolted into place. She ran over to Pintel and Ragetti again.

"Did you fix the boat?" They ignored her, and she asked again. "Hmm? Did you? Did you fix it?"

Pintel and Ragetti turned as footsteps approached. Creda saw Jack coming towards them with Elizabeth and the man who did not like washing stairs or clouds or the magic compass. He had a shovel. Creda looked up at Jack patiently and eagerly.

"You have the compass?" he asked Elizabeth. Elizabeth checked herself several times quickly until stopping and coming over to Creda, bending down towards her.

"Creda, we need the compass," she said to her.

"But I want to play with it!" she pouted.

"You can play with it again in a little while," Elizabeth said. "We just need it to find out where something is, and we'll bring it right back."

"Can I go in the boat with you?"

Elizabeth smiled softly at her naivety of the whole situation. "Not this time," she said. "Next boat ride, if Jack says you can."

"Jack!" Creda was pulling on his belt now, and Jack broke his line of orders, turning to Creda in annoyance.

"What?" he quipped.

"Jack, Elizabeth said I can come if I ask you," she said.

"Come where?"

"On the boat! I wanna go in the boat to the island." Creda whined.

"No."

"But I – wanna – come!" she said with an immovable face and a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

"You can come when you're not ill-tempered and there's not a sea monster chasing us around the whole of the ocean," Jack said with a touch of mock pleasantness. Creda was taken aback just as he had hoped; rendering her speechless and buying them time to get in the boat. Pintel and Ragetti began to lower.

Determined, Creda pushed a barrel over to the side of the ship and stood on it, yelling back down at the people in the boat.

"I WANNA COME!"

"You get back up there before you fall!" Jack said.

"But-!"

Sure enough, her center of balance disappeared, and Creda fell forward with a scream, landing in the water next to the rowboat with a sound splash. Elizabeth, Norrington, and Jack immediately leaned over, looking in the white foam for the girl. She surfaced, taking in a huge gulp of air. Norrington extended an oar towards her.

"Help! Sea monster! Sea monster!"

"Shh! Do ye know how many people you'll be upsettin' sayin' that?" Jack reprimanded. "Grab the oar!"

Jack helped Norrington and Elizabeth pull Creda into the boat, and she sat soaking wet on Elizabeth's lap, moving the hair from her eyes with soppy, dripping sleeves. Jack glared at her.

"You'll spook everyone if you keep that 'sea monster' stuff up," he scolded.

"You said it!"

**. Please Review .**


	5. Cirque de Cruces

Hi everyone! Update for you! You would not beleive it, but yesterady was my 3 year and one day anniversary of seeing Pirates of the Cribbean for the very first time. I had a movie marathon, lol. I would've had one last week, but I had a huge drumline rehearsal and was too tired afterwards. But! I am updating now! And I'm almost late for school, so I gotta hurry, lol. Ta!

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**Aranel Cugheil  
**_I agree, lol. I say that when my sister thinks she's got me in trouble, and I so pwn her, lol. I hope you like this chapter, too! We're on the island now, and things are going to be fun, hehe.. Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!_

**Sweet-and-Sexy  
**_Hehe... Isn't she? I think a little part of Jack even likes her sweetness, but I doubt it'll rub off on him, seeing as he's too proud of a pirate captain to associate himself with such vocabulary, lol. Thanks for the review, and keep reading! I know you'll love it!_

**Kenny  
**_Holy crap, where did you come from?! lol.. I miss you! Yes, that line is such a very Jack thing to say, don't you think? Haha! Thanks for reviewing and dropping in to read my new story! Hope you look me up again soon! Enjoy!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Five  
**_Cirque de Cruces_

The rowboat hit white sand shortly. Jack put the shovel over his shoulder as he got out of the boat with the others. Norrington stood idly as Elizabeth removed the compass from her belt, ready to use it. From in the boat, Creda saw the compass and stood, craning her neck for a better look. Jack came into sight.

"Forget it," he said. "You're staying in the boat."

She gave him a look, her shoulders falling. "What?"

He again ignored her continual whining and began to give Pintel and Ragetti their orders. "Guard the boat, mind the tide, watch the girl… don't touch my dirt."

Jack walked off with Elizabeth and Norrington, and Creda slumped in the boat quite depressed. She looked up at Pintel and Ragetti; they were just staring at her as if she were a terrible plague of sorts.

"Do you like me?" she asked.

Both men shook their heads, muttered several things, and moved away from the boat. Creda sighed. "Do you like the sand?"

"Stop talking," Pintel ordered. "We're not here to baby-sit. Can't believe I'm here stuck at a rowboat with an idiot and a bothersome kid…"

Ragetti walked back over out the boat, taking out the spare shovel. Creda looked up with a growing smile as he balanced it in the palm of his hand, and Pintel's angry muttering was broken by a laugh from the girl. He looked up at his partner spinning around with a shovel vertical in his open hand, amazed (but not surprised) at how low things had gotten. Ragetti dropped it, but he picked it right back up, and Creda stood in the boat, laughing and clapping her hands.

"I may join the circus!"

"Me, too!" Creda jumped up, walking along the edge of the wooden rowboat, pretending it to be a high wire. However, she lost balance after four steps and fell soundly to the sand with a loud 'Oof!'

Ragetti looked down, still trying to keep the shovel in his hand. "Oh. Are, are you alright?"

"Yes!" Creda said, getting right to her feet again. "Can you juggle?"

"Well… I- I dunno." Ragetti dropped the shovel again, picking it up and balancing it more. "I've never really tried."

Creda looked over at the short fat bald man, shielding the sun from her eyes. "Can you juggle?"

"Leave me alone."

"Can you swing from the flying trapleze?" she asked with excitement.

Pintel gave her a look of confusion. "What?"

"Can you-!"

"No."

Pintel ignored her once again, leaving her to bother Ragetti. The sad part was that Ragetti seemed to be enjoying himself with the little wench.

_What an idiot. _

His eyes rested on the ocean, and he went white. Was that a ship? It wasn't their ship. It was a huge ship! Offshore not by a lot!

"Hey!" He rammed him elbow in Ragetti who kept the shovel vertical in his hand despite the unexpected hit and looked up to where Pintel was staring. Creda wondered why her circus friend had stopped playing and ran out from between the two of them as they ogled at the new ship.

"Is that Jack's boat?" she asked.

"No," Pintel said quietly. "That's no ship of ours."

"Looks all dark and cursed like ours used to be, though," Ragetti pointed out.

The three of them stood estranged on the beach watching it with anticipation and curiosity. Creda sat on the sand in front of the two men watching the ship as if she were prepared to sit and listen to a long and interesting tale, but the action came almost instantly. The bow of the ship dove sharply into the calm waters offshore, its stern rising into the air and driving deep underwater after the rest of the ship, sails and all.

Pintel squinted in disbelief while the shovel fell out of Ragetti's shaking hand. Both men screamed and abandoned their site at the rowboat and left Creda sitting in the sand. She looked over her shoulder as they ran away and jumped up to run after them. She had just remembered what Jack had said about a sea monster! Maybe it ate that ship and was coming for them next!

"Wait for me!" she wailed after the two men.

"You stay back there and guard the boat!" Ragetti said. "We don't want it stolen!"

"But I don't want to get eaten by the sea monster!" Creda shouted, unsuccessfully catching up to her two guardians of the present time. Her legs stretched as far as they could, but she was already getting short of breath.

"There's no sea monster!" Pintel said. "Promise!"

"Yes there IS! Jack said so!"

"He lied!"

"Jack doesn't lie!" Creda objected.

"It's a nice sea monster!" Pintel lied as he ran even harder.

"Keep it for a pet!" Ragetti told her.

Pintel lowered his voice ("Unless it keeps her for its pet," he said), and the two of them turned a corner even faster.

Creda's shoulders sagged as she watched them disappear out of sight, but she kept hard on, scared of the sea monster and of being alone. Her torn and dirty skirts flew behind her from the high winds and her sprinting. Some sand flew up into her eyes, and she tripped and fell on her dress, only to get up and continue running.

By the time Creda's heart was ready to give out, she had found Pintel and Ragetti again. Jack, Norrington, and somebody else were sword fighting far off while Elizabeth threw rocks and shouted, but Creda was too exhausted to care. She fell over right behind Pintel and Ragetti, panting heavy into the sand with the sun beating down on her. She laid there for a minute or two as murmurs of Pintel and Ragetti's conversation passed overhead, and she finally found some strength to prop herself up on her elbows.

She looked up at the back of the two men and the scene beyond them, not sure what was really going on. She looked back out at Elizabeth and the three sword fighting men, suddenly having sand kicked into her eyes as Pintel and Ragetti ran off again. Creda stood, sighed, and ran after them angrily.

"Hey! Wait for me! Where are you going!"

She kept running after them, turning her head to study Elizabeth and the swordfight. Suddenly, she ran into something and fell over it, and began to move backwards! Confused, Creda looked up. She was indeed moving backwards, Pintel and Ragetti on either side of her. They looked down at her just as puzzled, and Creda soon realized that she was on top of a treasure chest! Her face lit up.

"Is there really treasure in here?" she asked loudly as Elizabeth began to follow them.

"We hope so!" Pintel said. "Now shoosh!"

Creda saw Elizabeth running after them into a mess of jungle when she looked up. "Hey! Wait!" she said to them. "We gotta wait for Elizabeth!"

Pintel and Ragetti looked back at the fuming woman, only prompting them to run faster.

"Hey! Elizabeth! Elizabeth, come on!"

"Stop that!" Pintel said as they dodged trees and jumped over foliage. Creda straddled the chest, hanging on for dear life. She gave him a look.

"Put me down!" she wailed suddenly. "Help!"

"I told you to-"

The chest slammed into a tree, the handles flying out of Pintel and Ragetti's hands. Creda was threw from the chest, rolling to the feet of Elizabeth in a beaten pile. Elizabeth gasped and collected the girl towards her.

"Creda, stay with me," she said, standing. Creda clung to Elizabeth's leg fearfully as the young woman went to reach for her sword but found none. Pintel and Ragetti drew theirs slowly with a grin of favor.

"'Ello, poppet," Pintel leered maliciously.

Creda hid behind Elizabeth leg as she backed up, fearing the worst. But then, a low grumbling seemed to come from the depths of the island they were on. Creda looked around as the others above her did the same. It was an endless sounding growl. It was getting louder, accompanied with shouts. Finally Creda's eyes rested on the clearing, and her eyes filled with wonder.

"Wow."

A giant wooden wheel of sorts was rolling by! On top, Creda saw Norrington fighting the man she didn't know, and Jack was running behind the wheel trying to catch up. Eyes alight, Creda ran away from Elizabeth's side towards the wooden wheel's path of crushed foliage in the clearing.

"JACK!!! I WANNA COME!!!"

Elizabeth's heart skipped. "Creda! Get back he-!"

An ax flew inches from her head into the side of a tree a few feet away, and she looked over her shoulder with Pintel and Ragetti to see a mass of Davy Jones's creature-like crewmen hurtling towards them in rage.

**. Please Review .**


	6. Leverage

Oh my god guys, I got into IUP!!! I'm so thrilled!! i'm an Undecided fine arts Major, but I missed the music auditions this go around, otherwise I would be a Music Education Major. And of course, it would be completely awesome to be a minor in writing, but IUP doesn't offer that. Gettysburg does, though! LoL... Thanks for reviewing, guys, and keep reading! 

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**blacklabluver07  
**_Always good to know that I'm keeping people in characher, and always glad to hear that Creda is a likeable OC! It's totally fine, lol. I'm excrutiatingly busy with graduation coming up, and I will cry so much! Thank you fore reviewing, and enjoy!_

**Kenny  
**_Well, I thought estranged was a good word to use in that instance; I don't know why it just came to me, but its usage was pretty cool, lol. Happy 20 days til POTC 3!!! Thanks for the review, and enjoy more of the story!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Six  
**_Leverage_

"JACK!!!"

The pirate in question bent his brow and looked back as Creda came up fast behind him. He turned back around, rolling his eyes in frustration and annoyance. Soon she was by his side, and he scooped her up roughly as they ran, slinging her onto his back again.

"I thought I told you to wait with the boat?!" he shouted over the wheel's thundering through the foliage.

Creda's answer died away as Jack slipped back inside the wheel, still practically running for the key. Creda clung tightly to him and hid her head as he grabbed for the key, but Will's sword cut the cord on the ring. Jack, however, came up triumphant with the key.

"You got it!" Creda said happily as Will and Norrington turned on him immediately.

"Hate to do this to you, darling, but let go and hold on tight," Jack said, shaking Creda off of him. She fell to the rotting inside of the wheel as it rolled at a merciless speed.

"Jack!"

She grabbed one of the iron bars on the outside as Jack fought with the other two, and the grass was suddenly up in the sky! Creda's eyes snapped shut in horror as she held onto the wheel for dear life. She was upside down and rolling faster with every tree that passed.

Even though her eyes were shut, her stomach churned sickeningly, and she felt a woozy drowsiness overcome her. The whole… world… spun…

Jack climbed up on the wheel near to Creda at that moment, and he spotted her above him as her grip loosened and she fell. He quickly looked down and shut his eyes as the impact of her body hit his shoulders. She suddenly livened, knees gripping to his ribs fearfully.

"Make it STOP!!!" she yelled in his ear.

Then, in one swift motion, Jack was on the outside of the wheel with Creda on his back, and he leapt from the rolling wood beneath him to a giant palm frond above his head. Creda screamed as the wheels sped away with Will and Norrington shouting louder and longer than she.

"Put me down!" she begged from Jack's back.

"Calm down," he said as if she were overreacting. "Don't you know your not supposed to look down? We wouldn't have this problem if you'd just stayed at the boat, anyway."

He suddenly let go, and he and the frightened girl fell to the ground. She clung to him even more tightly as she cried out and balled his hair up into her fists, causing him to land off balance and in a pile with Creda. He propped himself up on an elbow blinking painfully. Creda stood over him with an uncomfortable face. Something more than the fall was troubling her, and Jack saw it. He narrowed his eyes.

"I saw the sea monster," she said softly.

Jack swallowed uneasily with an ill-favored expression. "Did you?" he asked in a tone somewhat high-pitched. He cleared his throat as Creda nodded and he stood.

"It's over there," she said, pointing.

Confused, Jack looked in her finger's direction. He lifted his eyes in surprise, seeing one of Jones's men running across the clearing with the chest. He looked down at the fallen coconuts at his feet, an idea forming.

"That's a sea _creature_," he corrected Creda as he bent down and retrieved a coconut, spinning it in his hand. Creda picked one up, too, watching Jack. "But he works with the sea monster, so he's fair game," Jack told her.

He threw the coconut at Hadrus's head, knocking it from his shoulders with a skilled hit. Creda laughed at the sight, going towards the moaning creature as Jack settled with the chest in front of him. She stood over the talking head, her coconut raised.

Hadrus winced in fear at the beaming girl. "N-no! Don't! I'm disembodied! Ahh!"

Disregarding his pleads, Creda forcefully slammed the coconut down onto Hadrus's face. "You're a bad sea creature!" she shouted. Her seriousness dissipated though; she burst into a giggle fit at his painful shriek.

"Sorry, mate," Jack said as Creda made her way back over to him. "She's a free spirit, does what she likes."

Hadrus moaned openly, his body still unable to find its head. Creda giggled more as she turned her attention to Jack and the chest. Her laughter subsided and curiosity again took its place as she kneeled in the grass beside Jack, intrigued.

"What's in there?" she asked studiously.

Jack held up the key, eyeing it in satisfaction. "Leverage."

Creda was bewildered at the comment as he put the key into the front of the chest. "What's le-"

The chest opened, a hissing of air escaping as squares protruded from all around the lid of the chest. Creda's eyes widened in wonder, and she leaned forward as Jack lifted the lid with care. Inside was this bloody red moving thing! Not gold or jewelry – a thing!

"Eww!" Creda jumped up and stood behind Jack's tall shoulder, peering over it cautiously. "What is that?"

"I already told you," Jack said, looking at the heart in the chest with a slight hesitation. "It's leverage."

"I don't like leverage," Creda said with a face of disgust.

"I do," Jack said, picking up the heart with a bright and fortuitous gleam in his eye. Suddenly, Creda began shouting again, tugging on Jack's sleeve desperately.

"Ahh! Run! Run!"

He looked up at the girl, but over her shoulder, he saw Davy Jones's men coming at them fast. He shoved the heart into his shirt, slammed the lid on the chest, and grabbed Creda's hand to pull her along.

"Time to go!"

Creda dodged trees and ran through tall grasses behind Jack, her hand still in his as they ran from the creatures of the Flying Dutchman. Her eyes darted, narrowly missing tree trunks and limbs as they blew passed. A flower of some sort hit her in the face and slowed her down, and Jack took her up on his back again, never losing his step.

Soon, they were out of the jungle. Creda lost her hold on Jack, sliding off of his back and into the water as he ran. She sat up in the runny sand and shallow water, making another distorted face at the state of her dress and hair. Jack only looked back at her as he stopped at the boat, reaching frantically for his jar of dirt. Creda waded through the rising tide and climbed into the rowboat in exhaustion as Jack capped the jar.

"Why did you put the leverage in there?" she asked him.

"So the sea monster can't get it," he told her quickly before turning around and swinging an oar at another one of Jones's men. Creda squealed, ducking down into the boat.

"And stay in there!" Jack called after her, the fight moving away from the idle boat.

Slowly, Creda chanced a look over the wooden edge, more and more creatures coming to attack. Elizabeth was now on the beach with the two funny men, fighting as well. She sat up tall on the seat of the boat ready to shout something, but a low and deep rumbling halted her. She carefully looked over at the jungle, and her eyes went wide.

It was the wheel! It crushed a man right in front of Elizabeth as it proceeded to roll out into the water. Creda stared at it, a laughing smile surfacing as it slowed and fell on its side. She put a leg over the boat and hopped out, going towards it. Halfway there, Norrington and the other man she didn't know came out shaking and disoriented. Norrington fell in the water, and she laughed again.

"You fell down!" she pointed out several yards away. Norrington scowled at her dizzily as Will fell over – twice. As Norrington ran by, Creda walked up to Will as he stuggled to stand a third time. He gave her a confused look as he stood on wobbly legs.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

"I…" – he staggered towards the boat next, blinking and rolling his eyes in an attempt to adjust them to the nauseating spinning of the whole island. Creda frowned as he stumbled passed her without giving her an answer.

"Who are you?!" she yelled as she followed him. Then, she stopped beside him, seeing his sword was pointed at Pintel and Ragetti on the other end of the boat. They grabbed an oar and net threateningly.

"Come on, Turner!" Pintel beckoned.

"Stop!" Creda shouted, climbing into the boat between them. "You're not – being – NICE!"

Suddenly, an oar swung passed Creda, and she squealed as Will fell over into the boat unconscious. She tried shaking him as Elizabeth came over to do the same, but before they realized it, Jones's sea creature crewman surrounded them.

"We're not getting out of this," Elizabeth said anxiously. Creda stood on the seat and clung to Elizabeth's arm as the creature bore down on them laughing maliciously.

"Not with the chest," Norrington said, grabbing it from the boat.

"Hey!" Creda whined.

"You're mad!" Elizabeth told him.

"Don't wait for me."

The ex-Commodore took off with Jones's men in pursuit. The others stood watching in disbelief.

"Come BACK!!!" Creda shouted as loud as she could.

"NO!" Jack said quickly. "I say we respect his final wish!" And of course, no one argued, immediately jumping into the boat and pulling Will the rest of the way in. As the water picked them up off of the sand they began rowing as fast as they could manage.

"Jack!"

Creda stood right in front of Jack, and he leaned back some at her angry scorn.

"You left Norrington behind!" she said very accusingly.

"He fell behind!" Jack argued.

"We need to save him!"

"Pirates only save themselves," Jack said quietly as Creda frowned. "Sorry, luv, but it's a sad truth. Not that he was the asset of me crew anyways…"

Creda pouted and went to sit by Elizabeth. Jack made a face in her direction.

He decided this was Elizabeth's fault. All of it. He'd just leave it at that.

**. Please Review .**


	7. The Flying Dutchman

GAH!!! TOMORROW!!! Twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes from now!!! WEEEEE!!! If you are going to an 8 PM showing tomorrow, huzzah for you!! My theater in town just decided to add the 8 PM show tow days ago, and the best part is that there's no advanced ticket sales for my theater, so I have a chance to get in!!! LoL... I'm sorry. I'm on my pirate kick right now, I probably will be for a long time!! EEEEEEE!!!  
Wow. Pirates 3. Tomorrow.  
I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**SparrowsVixon  
**_Hehe, Jack could be such a softy if he ran into a kid, and I know it. That's why i did this - I wanted to have Jack interect with some random little kid, and so far it's gotten good results! Thanks for the review, and enjoy! Pirates 3 tomorrow! Woot!_

**blacklabluver07  
**_I'll swing by and drop a line ASAP. I'm probably gonna be up all night with excitement from my pirate kick (n. Erica's extreme state of giddyness/hyperness/love of all things pirate. synonyms - my natural high, lol). Thanks for the review, and go see Pirates 3!!! YES!!!_

**dumbblonde76  
**_Thank you very much! I hope you like it enough to stick around and keep reading! I know you won't be disappointed! Thanks for reviewing, and have fun going to see Pirates 3! Enjoy the new chapter, too!_

**Norma Jean  
**_LoL... Creda is the ultimate four-year-old (even though she did grow up in Tortuga, lol)! Would you believe I didn't even have a name for her when I stared writing this? Haha... Thanks for the luck-wiching and the review, and have fun At World's End!! Enjoy!_

**ForensicPhotographer711  
**_Okay, I am officially going to shorten your penname in further chapters to FP711, lol. I love the name, though, and that you've liked the story so much thus far! Keep reading, and enjoy it! I'm stll debating whether to end it with DMC or continue to World's End, but I'll let you know! Enjoy PotC 3!!! _

**Kenny  
**_OMG, I had such an adventure just getting to know I would see it! see, my dad wouldn't let me go to the midnight show, and the closest 8 PM show was 60 miles away, so I couldn't do that. And then after school Friday, I'm leaving to go camping all weekend! I was panicking, but then Carmikes in town decided to add the 8 PM show a few days ago, and there's a chance I might get in because they don't sell or accept advanced ticket sales!! I'm so PUMPED!!! Well, thank you for reviewing, and have fun at Pirates 3!! WOOT!!!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Seven  
**_The Flying Dutchman_

"Creda."

The young girl sat stubbornly in the rowboat, arm folded over her chest with an angry scowl. She was the last in the rowboat, and Jack's arm was getting tired from holding onto the ladder on the side of the ship.

"Creda, get out of the boat."

"You left Norrington," was all she would have to say to him.

Jack rolled his eyes. What? Did she actually like him or something?

"Creda, darling. Last chance."

The girl suddenly stood on the seat, lifted her skirt, and held a foot over the water. She looked back at Jack, and his eyes got narrow.

"Don't you do it," he warned.

"You left Norrington!"

"I'll leave you, too!"

An empty threat, but it was all he had left. Finally, after she raised her leg a little higher to drop into the water, Jack scowled himself and picked her up around the waist.

"Hey!"

Creda broke out into screams, beating on his shoulder as he climbed the ladder with much difficulty and low tolerance. When they got on deck, Jack put her down, and her tantrum instantly stopped. He just looked at her sadly, almost apologetically. She was four. She didn't know anything about the world yet; especially not a pirate's world…

Still, Creda glared at him. Then, out of nowhere, she stomped on his foot unforgivingly and stormed off. Jack winced painfully as Gibbs came up beside him with a questionable look after the girl. He and Jack exchanged looks, and then he handed the captain his jar of dirt.

"She's a bit sore with you," Gibbs said. Jack made a face.

"Imagine that."

"What happened?"

"Commodore fell behind."

Creda stomped off to the opposite side of the ship, folding her arms over her chest. She looked out at the sky and sea with a hateful scorn, but eventually, the scorn deteriorated into a watery frown. Creda sniffed back a tear, beginning to sob.

Suddenly, a huge wave rose out of the ocean, and Creda stepped back frightfully from the edge as the Flying Dutchman materialized right in front of her very eyes from the ocean. On the deck, the crew laughed, mocked, and jeered at the Pearl, and Creda stepped back even more until she bumped into Gibbs and Jack.

"I'll handle this, mate," Jack said casually, pushing Gibbs aside. Creda went to follow, but Gibbs grabbed her shoulder absentmindedly, a look of terror still on his face as he stared at the Flying Dutchman.

The next thing Creda realized was that Jack was falling down the stairs. The entire crew made expressions of pain and worry, and Creda went to run after him again, but again Gibbs held not only one, but both of her shoulders now.

"But-"

"Shh."

"But Jack-"

"Shh."

Then, she heard Jack shout something as he got to his feet and smiled.

"He's okay," she whispered to Gibbs who gave no response. She watched as Jack stood and carried around his jar of dirt talking to someone over on the other ship. Then, he began singing!

"I got a jar of di-irt! I got a jar of di-irt! And guess what's inside it!" he taunted.

Creda smiled, jumping excitedly. "Leverage!" she shouted in the dead silence.

Jack looked over at her somewhat horrified. At this, Gibbs clapped his hand over her mouth, looking over at Davy Jones with nervous laugh. He went silent with huge eyes as guns were brought out of the Dutchman's hull.

Then, everything changed drastically.

Gibbs ran from Creda as everyone on the boat began screaming at one another, and she looked around helplessly as the Pearl began to move perpendicular with the Dutchman. A blast came form the Dutchman and rocked the entire ship, cutting through its length. Creda fell to the ground, cowering against the railing.

All around her was pandemonium. What was happening? Why were they fighting? Where was Jack?

A long time passed that Creda had no record of, and Elizabeth was suddenly there. She ran by and stopped, coming back to pick Creda up.

"Come on, honey," she said hastily, taking her hand. Elizabeth led her down the stairs as they dodged fire, Creda letting out a squeak of fear every other stair they descended.

"Behind the stairs," Elizabeth ordered, hiding Creda there.

"I'm scared," Creda told her. Elizabeth sighed, seeing her hands trembling. She touched her face, knowing she had to go and help the others.

"I know," she said. "I'll be right back. Don't move."

Creda's lip quivered under a shaky intake of breath. She listened to the intense gunfire and shouts surrounding her and was very confused. Creda closed her eyes, hoping it would all go away. But then, the sounds of shots began to decrease, and cheers could be heard in place of fearful shrieks.

She opened an eye and peeked out, the men congratulating one another. With both eyes open, she looked back into the destroyed remains of Jack's cabin. Through the giant hole in the stern, she could see the Dutchman getting smaller and smaller. A smile bloomed onto her face.

"Yay!"

She walked out happily to join the festive atmosphere of celebration, but the destruction of Jack's room drew her attention more. He smiled lessened some as she stepped outside of where the large double doors once were. That hole was hu-

SMASH

Jack looked down from the railing, terrified at the sight below him – his jar of dirt was broke, he didn't see Davy Jones's heart, and Creda was lying unconscious beneath it all.

He ran down the stairs almost tripping over himself to get to it. Once there, Jack fell to his knees scraping at the wood and dirt continuously in search of the missing heart with one hand as he picked Creda up with the other.

Where was it? The heart? His only way out?

"Creda… wake up…" he called faintly, an edge present in his voice of fear. She remained limp against his body.

"Creda!"

Finally, he stopped shuffling sand and patted her face and shook her.

"Come on! Up!"

A lifeless moan came from the girl as he moved his hand through the dirt more.

"There's a girl… Come on, wake up."

Creda opened her painful eyes, head thumping atrociously. It pounded in competition against Jack's heart making it hurt more. She sat up with difficulty, blurrily watching him produce a dust cloud. She coughed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"The leverage is missing!" he hissed urgently.

"It is?"

Creda crawled out of his arm in onto the deck, messing around in the dirt next to the Jack. Men were beginning to shout around them again, but she kept her attention on finding that thing from the island in the treasure chest. Jack wanted it, so it must be important.

"Where is it?" she asked Jack. When she got no reply, she looked up only to find him gone. She looked around, seeing him run up the stairs. Without hesitation, she ran after him.

When she was on the upper deck, Jack was looking over his shoulder secretively as he pulled the ropes around the boat they had just been in. She walked over to him as giant tentacles began to encompass and rise above the ship. She clung to his leg, and Jack looked up with his mouth agape.

"Oh bugger."

A huge detonation rumbled beneath them, and they looked at the beast, its tentacles charred and burning. Creda buried her face in Jack's leg and he smiled somewhat as the Kraken retreated into the depths. Given its damages however, Jack still turned, readying the boat for launch again. Creda stepped back.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting out of here," he said, hopping into the boat, "before that bloody sea monster eats me."

Without a word, Creda dived into the boat. Jack gave her a look as she sat up, but as much of a pirate that he was, he very well couldn't let the dreaded sea monster eat her, too. He would worry about getting her off his tail later, do a good thing, and save the two of them for now.

"Here," he said, tossing her his compass before he began to lower. "Play with that and stay quiet. And don't drop it."

Creda opened her beloved magic compass as the rowboat dropped into the water. It pointed to Jack. This caught his eye, and he just rolled his eyes and kept lowering.

Why couldn't he just say 'no' to her? For once?

**. Please Review .**


	8. Abandon Hope

Sorry if the chapter's a page or two short, guys, lol. I just got a new job, so I'm dead tired, but I promised to update this today, and I am. Hope you all enjoyed Piates 3! I was totally blown away by it (as I am with all things pirate)! I will admit that I was sad when Norrington died, though. Even though he died a good guy, he should've lived. Sorry. For some unexplainable reason as of late, I've taken a liking to Norrington. Maybe it's because he saved Elizabeth and proved that he really his a good guy, and might I point out that his death music on the soundtrack is the most depressing of all the music on the album? LoL. Anyhoo, hope you all liked the movie, and keep reading the story! I've decided to take Creda to World's End after seeing the movie! Woot! Should be fun, eh?

_- Dis/Claimer -_

x x x

**ForensicPhotographer711  
**_Ramble as much as you want, lol. And yes! it is always better a second time! I saw it at the drive-in for a second time last weekend (darn my busy schedule and lack of money), but now, just yesterday, I got hired at my local cinema where they are laying Pirates 3 until the end of July! I'm so pumped! It's where I went for the Opening Night show, and now I work there! I love it, lol. And yes, I think I have decided to continue into World's End - it was too tempting not to, lol. Thanks for that awesome review, and keep reading!_

**Kenny  
**_Yes! The 8:00 show was AWEsome!!! LoL. Couldn't resist. Lindsay and I went straight up to the box office after school, waited for it to open, and got the first two tickets for the 8:00 show! We beat twenty people, lol. And then before the movie, we made a WalMart run and got PotC gummies and found - no kidding - Jack Sparrow Apple Juice boxes. It was spazztastic! We brought our big purses, lol. And you wanna knwo the coolest part? I got hired at the same cinema yesterday, so I get to watch Pirates all summer! Woot! I went in and clean up after a show yesterday, and NO ONE stayed for the end clip! I died! So me, my assistant manager, and another dude that hung out with us all day watched it and made fun of last names in the credits, lol. Thanks for a great review as always, and enjoy!_

**. x X x .**

**Chapter Eight  
**_Abandon Hope_

Jack knew his only chance was to go back to land. He would go there, temporarily be trapped there with this annoyingly sweet girl in front of him until Jones had him surrounded, and then he'd fight them all off until only Davy Jones was left. He was still trapped! Jones would wait for Jack to take one step into the shallows, and he'd be dead!

Nonetheless, the Kraken was attacking at the moment. Land it was.

"Why are we going back to the island?" Creda asked, wisps of short blonde hair blowing around her head that was still inclined to the compass. "Are we gonna save Norrington?"

Jack kept rowing as he rolled his eyes. "Because the sea monster's onto us. We'll be safe on land. It's not a land monster now is it?"

Creda gave him a look somewhere between a pout and a scorn, and Jack sighed.

"Fine. If we see the bloody maggot we'll save him," he said, earning a smile from her. At least he had silenced her. "But-"

A piercing scream of a dying man shot out, and both Creda and Jack looked back at the Black Pearl as the Kraken stabbed through the hull of the ship mercilessly. Jack made a face as Creda stared, a realization dawning on her.

"What about Elizabeth and her friend?" she asked softly. "And the funny man with the wood eye?"

Jack looked down guiltily. He was having a hard enough time leaving them all to fend for themselves, and now a four-year-old had to spell it out for him. His eyes drifted over to the compass in Creda's loose grasp, and he gently took it from her. As he opened it, Creda climbed over her seat and leaned over Jack's arm as the compass finally stayed in a fixed position.

Jack leaned forward in question at the compass's bearing. Creda squinted at it. She did not look at the direction; she was merely amazed that it wasn't spinning.

"Now what?" she asked. "You don't like circles anymore!"

"That I don't," Jack announced. He picked up the oars again. "I've decided I like the ship."

Creda looked over at the Pearl fearfully as Jack pocketed the compass. "But the sea monster!"

Jack looked over the girl's head, swallowing a fearful lump. "Well, it's not such a… big sea monster…"

"I thought pirates saved themselves?" Creda asked.

"Due to the incredible amount of guilt one would suffer in such instances (as myself), that part of the code is somewhat void. Besides, that's _my_ ship."

"To the ship!" Creda shouted.

x x x

"AHHH!!!"

A giant tentacle flew at them. Jack grabbed Creda and covered her on the upper deck as one of the Kraken's many tentacles barely missed them, knocking their rowboat to the ocean in ruins. Creda whimpered as she lifted her head, and Jack hurried to get up.

"Don't leave the deck," he told her as he ran off.

"Jack!"

He did not turn back, and Creda sunk back against the side of the ship next to a barrel, scared. Everyone around her was screaming, the sea monster was attacking, and Jack's leverage was missing. She suddenly spotted him holding a gun, and fear got the better of her. She jumped up, ready to run for him.

"Jack!"

No answer.

"Jack!!!"

The gun fired.

"JA-!"

THWUMP

Creda had a sensation of being lifted off her feet, but then all was black.

x x x

A deep silence of awe and disbelief swamped the deck of the Black Pearl after the Kraken's dive back to the ocean. The survivors, including Elizabeth, looked around slowly. Had it all just happened?

"Did we kill it?" she heard Marty ask.

"No," Gibbs replied quietly. "We just made it angry."

It was then that Elizabeth noticed the lack of innocence around her. No naïve questions, no sweet little voice frightened. She marched up to Jack.

"Abandon ship."

"Jack, where's Creda?"

He looked away, very sure of the worst. Elizabeth's heart sank as he met her eyes.

"I don't know," he told her. "Last I saw she was up near the helm."

At this, Elizabeth darted for the stairs, and the rest of the crew followed her with less hopeful prospects. Elizabeth immediately began calling out her name, looking around the wreckage and picking up pieces of wood to look under. Will felt helpless as he watched her. There was no way a small child like Creda would have survived.

"Elizabeth-"

"CRE-DA!"

"Elizabeth!"

Will put his arms around her, but she looked around more frantically.

"No, she's here!" she argued. "I know it!"

He cast her a sympathetic look, saying her name more gently this time. She swallowed, still looking around. "We have to leave the ship," he said. "We're running out of time. It'll be back."

"But she's here."

"Somehow, I don't think she is," Gibbs said, dropping a smoking piece of banister. Will wrapped his arm around Elizabeth's waist and began to lead her back down to the longboat.

"Let's go. Hurry."

Elizabeth didn't want to believe it, though the possibility was outstanding. Compliantly, she went back down to the longboat, an idea coming to her.

She looked up at Jack.

The Kraken was after him.

And he wasn't about to just sacrifice himself for them.

So she would have to assist him in the decision.

x x x

The pain hit her at a shocking rate. Creda whimpered as she squinted her eyes shut, a sob bursting out of her dormant lungs. She choked on the heavy black smoke, sitting up the best she could. It irritated her eyes, and she rubbed them, barely opening them halfway.

All was quiet.

She stood uncertainly and stumbled, but she caught herself on the wooden deck. Regaining her balance, another shot of pain grasped her knee. She choked out another sob as she fell against the banister.

Where was everyone?

She looked down over the ruined ship, eyes slowly lighting up to their full potential. A smile even cozened onto her dirty face.

"JACK!"

He stopped shaking his arm wildly in retaliation against the shackle on the mast at the sound of his voice. He looked around, hearing it again. Jack paused at its familiarity, snapping his neck to look up at the helm.

She was there, smiling right at him.

His brow furrowed.

She was smiling? After that?

"Jack! You're okay!"

"Not really!" he shouted back, jerked on the chain more. He spotted a lantern lying next to him, knowing it might be his only chance.

"Where is everybody?" Creda asked, coming down the broken stairs carefully.

"They left us!" He reached desperately for the lantern with his sword, but Creda merely walked up and handed it to him. "Thank you," he replied kindly, busting it against the mast. The honey liquid ran over his hand and the shackle as he tugged more. Creda watched calmly.

"Why'd they leave us?" she asked.

"I – don't – know!" His hand flew out of the shackle, and he gave himself a satisfied smile. Creda's face lightened, too, but both of them suddenly twisted their faces in repulsion. Jack's eyes widened.

"Eww," Creda said, scrunching up her nose. "What's that smell?"

Jack slowly turned, and Creda gasped loudly, clutching his leg instantly. He stared the Kraken down. _Touché._

"It's the sea monster," he said calmly, a challenging glare at the beast.

The Kraken then bellowed at them, Creda's scream lost in its deafening roar. Putrid mucus, odors, and unknown stuff came slapping into their faces, and Creda felt sick at the stench. Jack felt her grasp loosen, and he looked down, as she grew faint. He put her on his back as his long lost hat fell to his feet.

"Oh!"

He put it on as Creda continued to cower behind him, burying her face between his shoulder blades. He looked over his shoulder.

"Hold on tight, luv."

Jack stepped up in the face of the Kraken, sword drawn. Creda cautiously lifted her head to see thousands of huge, sharp teeth before her, and soon, they enclosed them and her terrified scream. Her eyes snapped shut tightly as she hid her head again and fell out of memory.

**. Please Review .**


	9. Author's Note

**Hey! This story will be continued ASAP! I'm just mainly waiting for the AWE script to be put online so I can better incorporate Creda's character into the story, so that is the reason for the wait. Apologies! If anyone knows where I can get the official final script, pass it on to me please! I've been looking since the movie's release, lol. So yes, just waiting for the script. The story will be continued under this title.**

**Thanks!**

**B.G. Sparrow**


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